Method of applying signs to glass



Patented Dec. 17, 1929 wane rare

HUGO IBEINROTH, OF HAMBURG, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO HEYDEN CHEMICAL 'COR-PORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION on NEW YORK METHOD OF APPLYING SIGNS TO GLASS No Drawing.Application filed March 23, 1928, Serial No. 264,281, and inGermany'March 29, 1927.

This invention relates to the production of signs and it particularlyrelates to the production of signs on glass, for instance on the back ofshow-windows and the like glass panes.

The production of signs, figures, or the like, from materials having ametallic luster, or being colored, especially the production of firmnames or similar signs in gold or silver on the inner side of a showwindow, always entailed a rather cumbersome and costly procedure. Inorder to obtain durable signs, or figures, in gold or silver, one had toresort to films of the genuine precious metals. Inasmuch as such metalscould only be produced in films of small dimensions, lettering windowsand similar work was always slow. Moreover, the high luster of the filmsof precious metals proved not mellow enough to yield easily legiblesigns. It was necessary therefore, in the most cases, to prepare thesurface of the glass first by either slightly etching it or give it acoat of lacquer or varnish, or eventually deaden slightly the luster ofthe precious metal by suitable means.-

I have now found a process by which the application of films of theprecious metals is avoided. In the operation of my invention I applyonly films made of ordinary bronze powder. It is important that thebronze particles are embedded in a binding.

material in which they are hermetically sealed; such binding materialsare for 1nstance cellulose esters, such as nitro-cellulose,

acetyl-cellulose, formyl-cellulose, and the like esters,cellulose-ether, gelatine or any other, preferably transparent,colorless material forming films. The films may be used with or withoutpaper backing. Instead of a film proper I may also use paper, tissues orany other similar texture coated with a layer of bronze or color. Iapply for instance thin bronze tissue paper, or colored pargamyn paper,such as used in some countries for finishing the mouth pieces ofcigarettes.

Remarkably well suited for the purposes of my invention are the rolls offilms as ob- I tained by the process of von Hoessle &

Richter, described in U. S. Patent No.

necessary to align one small slip after the other. The rolls of bronzefilms made by the von Hoessle-Richter process can be furnished in anylength and widths up to 28 inches.

To produce for instance a window sign of 28 inches height and 80 incheslength, it is only necessary to affix a film of slightly more than theabove dimensions by means of a solution of gelatine to the inner side ofthe window, which of course was previously properly cleaned. Thegelatine solution, which I found very suitable for this purpose,contained 8 sheets of gelatine in a liter of water. The bronze film isthen pressed upon the glass with blotting paper and a squeegee rollerand as much of the gelatine solution is pressed out from between theglass and thefilm as can safely be done in view of the fragility of thewindow pane. By working in this manner the film adheres perfectlysmoothly to the glass, especially the more the drying proceeds. Thedrying can also be accelerated by artificial heat, for instance by meansof a fan blowing heated air upon the film. Though the desired sign inreversed position can be entered directly upon the bronze surface, andthe superfluous parts of the film can be erased, the process describedbelow is more advantageous.

In this process I proceed exactly as described above until the bronzefilm has dried and at that stage 1' coat then the film with a solutionof damar varnish andqturpentine and allow then the solvent to evaporatefor some minutes until the varnish becomes sticky. Then I apply acovering material which will admit of cutting out'the letters with welldefined edges. Among other materials I found that tin foil answers thispurpose especially well. I trace then the lettors in reversed positionupon this tin foil and then cut them out with a sharp knife, taking carethat the edges present a. clean cut. The knife must cut through to theglass so as to have also the bronze film cut through. Thereupon allthese parts of the covering or protecting material are ripped off whichdo not form a part of the desired sign.

lVhenever, as in the present case, for the application of the bronzefilm upon the glass an adhesive was used which like gelatine, does notadhere so strongly as the damar varnish used for the cover, or tin foil,the superfluous parts of the bronze film are also torn off so that onlythe letters remain which are pressed once more with the squeegee roller.Should any spots of Varnish show on the glass, then I remove the samewith turpentine and similarly I remove with hike-warm water the gelatinesticking on the glass be tween the letters. These letters are thereuponpressed again and are then finally cove-red with a layer of lacquer orvarnish, or of suitable paint. The letters can also be provided with arim of varnish or lacquer so as to show off more distinctly. In case itis desired to have a sign show off from a dark ground then two or threecoats of varnish, stained with the desired color, are applied over thewhole part of the glass, including the letters by this contrast anyletters, figures, or decorations are then distinctly visible. Or ifdesired, a silver or mercury foil can be applied upon the glass, ex-

' tending also over the sign, and one obtains then a mirror from whichthe golden, or colored letters show off well. It is of course understoodthat instead of bronze films such of the precious metals, gold, silver,etc. may be used for the signs, that by the addition of dyestuffs or bythe application of colored bronzes a great variation of color effectsmay be produced, or that films made with any desired pigment may beused.

The procedure for the manufacture of glass letters is similar asdescribed above. I coat then such letters for instance on their backwith damar varnish, allow the same to dry until: it becomes sticky,apply then the thin bronze film and rub the same thereafter with a softpiece of cloth from the middle to the edges. Thereupon I coat thesurface repeatedly with damar varnish and finally provide it with aprotective coat, for instance tin foil. As a finishing touch I cut offall parts proj'ecting beyond the edges of the letters. C0lored lettersare similarly produced.

What I claim is:

1. The method of applying signs on the rear side of glass, consisting inapplying an adhesive to the glass, pressing tightly upon the glassa'strip of a film, having a coloring matter embedded therein, providingthen a coat of another adhesive on said film, impressing a thin foil ofan easily cut protective material upon the adhesive when highly sticky,imprinting the reversed sign upon the aforesaid foil, cutting the layersthrough to the glass along the edges of the sign, and ripping off thesuperfluous parts of the layers when dry.

2'. The method of applying signs on the rear side of the glass,consisting in applying an adhesive to the glass, pressing tightly uponthe glass a strip of a film of a transparent, colorless material, largerin size than the sign and having. a coloring matter embedded therein,providing then a coat of another adhesive on said film, impressing athin foil of an easily cut protective material upon the adhesive whenhighly sticky, imprinting the reversed sign upon the aforesaid foil,cutting the layers through to the glass along the edges of the sign, andripping off the superfluous parts of the layers when QTY.

3. The method of applying signs to the rear side of glass,consisting inapplying an adhesive of moderate power to the glass. pressing tightlyupon the glass a strip of a film of a transparent, colorless substance,larger in size than the sign and having a col-- oring matter embeddedtherein providing on top of the aforesaid film a coat of an adhesive ofstronger power than that below the said film, impressing a thin foil ofan easily cut protective material upon the stronger adhesive, imprintingthe reversed sign upon the aforesaid foil, cutting the layers throughto. the glass along the edges of the sign, and ripping off thesuperfluous parts of layers when dry.

4. The method of applying signs to the rear sideof glass, consisting inapplying a solution of gelatine to the surface of the glass, pressingtightly upon the glass a strip of a film of a transparent colorlesssubstance, larger in size and having a metal bronze embedded therein,providing on top of said film a coat of damar varnish, impressing a filmof tin foil upon said damar varnish when highlysticky, imprinting thereversed sign upon the tin foil, cutting the layers through to the glassalong the edges of the sign, and ripping ofl the superfluous parts ofthe layers when dry.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of March,1928.

HUGO BEINROTH.

